Sail Training

The sail training program is run annually in February and is designed for people who have had no experience in sailing.  It caters for adults as well as children (from age 10).  We will cover all the basics to get you sailing safely.
Participants will need to be fit enough to undertake moderate physical activity, and must be able to swim.
We use sailing dinghies owned by the sailing club, as well as some provided by club members – you don’t need your own boat for this course.

All training courses will be held at the Deviot Sailing Club, Deviot.

The Deviot Sailing Club requires all people participating in the sail training program to be members. The Course fees includes membership fees.

The Basic Sail Training Course will be held on three days over two weekends in February as shown in the Race Calendar.  For the 2024-2025 sailing season these days will be:

• Saturday 15th February 2025
• Sunday 16th February 2025
• Sunday 23th February 2025  

The following 2 races are set up for Beginner participation and all course participants are encouraged either bring a boat, or pair up with a club skipper.  Course leaders are able to facilitate boats or pairing up with another skipper.

• Saturday 1st March 2025 @ 12:30 pm- Gravelly Beach Dash
• Saturday 29th March 2025 @ 1:30 pm - Beginner Trophy

Course Contents

The course covers everything that you need to know to sail a sailing dinghy. In the first 2 sessions we will cover the safety requirements of small boat sailing. You will learn how to rig a sailing boat, how to launch a boat, and return to the beach. In the later sessions you will learn the basic rules of the road, and more advanced boat handling.

The basic sail training course will include:

• Clothing and safety equipment
• Rigging the boat with assistance
• How to steer the boat
• Primary boat controls
• Rescue procedures – including capsize recovery
• Launching and recovery
• Basic rules of the road
• Introduction to tides and currents

Cost

The cost for the full program is $165 for adults and $100 for children and full time Uni students (2024/2025 Season).
Cost for a family up to four people is $330. Participants will be provided with a certificate on completion of the course.
The cost includes club membership through to the end of the current season (End of June)

Required Equipment

Weather conditions may vary from cold to hot, so sail training participants should bring:

• Bathers / Towel
• Wetsuit
• Shorts (ideally worn over wetsuit for protection). No long pants
• Polyester shorts and tops recommended. Don’t wear cotton – it is too cold when wet
• PFD (life jacket). No Collar is preferred
• Woollen or thermal jumper in case it is really cold
• Windproof / waterproof jacket
• Old sneakers or wetsuit boots (there are oysters in the Tamar river which are very sharp on feet)
• Sun Hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen

For registration details and more information please download the form below  For more information please contact Tony on 0491 057 599 or Club Secretary Paul Laverty on 03 6343 3772 / 0418 378 928